Language committee/Reports/2012-07

This is the language committee report for July 2012.

Questions to the readers:
  • Do you read the Langcom reports regularly?
  • Do you find them informative? Are they comprehensive enough? Do you feel well-informed about the Langcom's proceedings?
  • Any comments, questions, criticism?
=> Comment here. --your report writer 23:45, 13 July 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Committee edit

  • The Langcom has discussed to join the Alliance for Linguistic Diversity of Google's Endangered languages project. In the wish to act as a connection between the Wikimedia community and the project, we have applied on 25 July, mentioning Wikimedia's significant resources related to preserving languages, e.g. Wikisource, Wiktionary and Incubator.

Requests and approvals edit

Other edit

  • It has been discussed whether it could be allowed to use another code for the URL of the Wikipedia in Mapundungun (test project: incubator:Wp/arn), for example of the codes that is reserved for "private use" in the ISO 639-3 scheme (it would e.g. be qmp.wikipedia.org instead of arn.wikipedia.org then); because the ISO code "arn" derives from a word which is claimed to be seen as offensive by the speakers of the language. No decision was taken, but
    • Some members tended to accept such a thing, others tended to rule out such a deviation from the ISO standard. The general importance of the standard was highlighted.
    • Most members would like organizations/speakers of the language to try to get the ISO code changed first, but it was also noted that such a change would be very unlikely to be accepted.
    • The details of why/how the code is considered offensive by the speakers were discussed. It is generally agreed that the code will not be changed for political reasons. Currently, the president of Wikimedia Chile has been contacted and will try to get statements from these NGOs and Universities.